COVID-19 UPDATE : 11 MAR 2020 (English)

Universal School is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and proactively working on keeping our students safe. We would like to update you of the following information and guidelines:

Cleanliness Checks: Our classrooms and facilities are cleaned thoroughly daily with disinfectants. Our toilets are being monitored and cleaned every hour.

Hand Washing & Sanitizers: All students were given a presentation last week on COVID-19 awareness, measures to take to keep themselves safe. Videos on how to wash hands effectively was shown to the children. We have put up infographics in each toilet to remind children the right way to wash their hands. Hand sanitizers are located throughout the school campus for the use of students. Signs to remind them to wash and sanitize their hands have been placed. Teachers have been asked to remind them constantly.

Canteen: Our canteens are also being thoroughly cleaned and extra emphasis is being placed on food safety and overall sanitation

Temperature Checks: We have been checking the temperature of all students daily from last week using a non-contact digital laser IR thermometer. In the event that the child has a fever, we will be requesting you to take your child home. We thank all Parents for cooperating with us on this measure. At present the health and safety of our students is of utmost importance.

Staff Checks: We are actively monitoring the health of all Universal School teachers and staff. Anyone with a fever or displaying symptoms is asked to stay home.

Assemblies, ECAs, Field Trips and group Sports remain suspended from last week until further notice.

Masks : We strongly recommend your children wear masks to school

We are closely monitoring the situation and have a contingency plan in place. Our online Learning Management System will be active should we have to temporarily close school in response to this situation. We will ensure we keep our students up to date and all material in their syllabus is covered.

Haircuts: We have advised all teachers to be more understanding with response to haircuts. We strongly encourage all our students and parents to stay away from malls and crowded places so for now we will not be enforcing disciplinary warnings for haircuts.

We sincerely request you to NOT send your child to school if they are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath and other related symptoms. We will ensure your child is updated on all lessons missed and all tests missed can be rescheduled.

If your child has a fever, flu, cough or has had either symptom in the last week, we will require a clearance letter from a Doctor before you send your child back to school.

If in class, any child is found with a runny nose, cough, fever, we will contact you to pick up your child right away.

Missed Tests: Please do not worry about the tests. Any test missed due to illness will be rescheduled

Missed Work: We will be emailing you the school work missed.

Quarantine for students who have travelled overseas in the last 14 days: Students who have travelled to China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Spain, Iran and Germany need to stay home for 14 days. Parents who have travelled to these destinations, kindly inform us so we can discuss measures to take in this case.

PLEASE INFORM US IMMEDIATELY IF ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY IS ILL OR HAS COME INTO CLOSE CONTACT WITH ANY PERSON WHO IS SUSPECTED OF COVID-19

We will be responding to emails after office hours as well. Thank you very much for your attention and co-operation. We will be updating you frequently about any changes due to COVID-19.

Tips to Reduce COVID-19 anxiety (Suggestions only):

Remember that the basics still apply during this period – eating well, sleeping well, and getting regular exercise are the foundations of staying healthy.

In times of stress, we may need focus more consciously on protecting our overall wellbeing. Remember the five ways to wellbeing and try to take care of your mental and emotional health as much as you take physical health steps:

Connect: Please utilize this time to connect with your children and close ones. Please encourage students to develop a reading habit too during this time.

Be active: do some stretches, go for a walk, run around the park or engage in your chosen sport – not only will it take your mind off the virus, it also helps keep you healthy.

Take notice: Whether you choose meditation, curling up with a book or going out for a run, engage with it fully to get the benefits.

Learn: stretch your brain with a new challenge, whether it's completing a crossword, starting a new book or signing up for an online class.

Give: sharing your resources with others can bring an immense sense of wellbeing as well as benefitting others.

Adequate Sleep: Please ensure they get sufficient sleep and rest every night

Reduce inflammation: Sugar, processed meat, dairy and vegetable oils, tend to be inflammatory foods so they busy the immune system, leaving other problems in your body unaddressed. That's why it can be really helpful to remove these inflammatory foods if we want a healthy immune system during this time

Herbal remedies: Herbal teas/water with ingredients such as basil leaves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, honey, lemon and pink salt are suggested to boost the immune system during flu season.